1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for pipeline processing continuous data of a plurality of series.
2. Related Background Art
Included in conventional computer systems, are a general system using one processor, a multiprocessor system which commonly uses a memory, an operation pipeline system, and an image processing multiprocessor system of the area division type, among others.
In recent years, there has been an increasing need for real time processing of the critical information, such as continuous digital data of a moving image, or the like, by general computer systems. Processes which are executed to those digital data are data processes in a real time such that they will be meaningless unless the processes are finished within a predetermined time.
In the conventional system as mentioned above, however, in a computer system using a single CPU, a calculating function is lacking and it is impossible to execute such data processes within real time.
A system like a multiprocessor system which can execute processes at a high speed by using a plurality of processors has been proposed. In the conventional system represented by a multiprocessor system of the shared memory type, however, competition in the memory system occurs in the input/output and display operations of data and in the processes of the processor, so that such a competition obstructs the realization of the high-speed processes.
In a system like an operation pipeline machine which executes pipeline processes on a unit basis of data of fine dots, in the case where an amount of data to be processed together is large as in a moving image, the processes cannot be performed at a high speed because of its construction. A system where image data is divided into a plurality of regions and a plurality of processors are allocated to those regions and image processes are executed at a high speed has also been proposed. Most of such systems, however, have a construction such that the memory system is divided into a number of small regions, and intend to realize a high speed of the processes after the data to be processed was once loaded into the memory. It takes time to write and read out the image data. Moving image data or the like cannot be continuously processed.
In general, the moving image data is accompanied with audio data. Since the audio data is also realtime data, it must be output simultaneously with the corresponding moving image data. For example, in the computer using a single CPU, when significance is paid to the synchronization and simultaneousness of the moving image data and the audio data, processes such that the audio data is processed by paying an importance thereto and the moving image data is thinned out into the picture planes of the number of [1/(a few number)] and into the pixels of the number of [1/(a few number)] of those of the original moving image data and the image is displayed are merely executed as a better method. Further, even in the audio data process, a situation such that the process is influenced by other processes of a heavy load and the output is interrupted can occur.